Incarnate: The Last of the Lacers

A blast a fire, a rush of wind, the roar of water, the rumble of stone.

The elements have always been a fantastic space to explore creatively for gamers. This book seeks to add all the elemental options you'd ever need for your 5e games.

This book is 173 pages long, and includes everything you need to set a game in the Forgotten Realms under the watchful eye of the Incarnate, a powerful being who can wield all four elements. The contents of this book include:

5 new races. The elemental races were born from the union of genasi and ancient barbarian tribes. They have since become diluted, but elemental blood still flows through their veins. Also included is the obake, a race of animal-like creatures from the Spirit World.

2 new classes. The lacer and the samsari are both elemental warriors, but approach the elements in vastly different ways. Lacers are fighters, using fire, wind, water, and earth to pummel their foes into submission. Samsari, by contrast, are more spiritual, more enlightened.

4 new subclasses. In addition to the five subclasses present for the lacer, and the three subclasses presented for the samsari, four new subclasses are given for classes from the Player's Handbook. Barbarians can follow the Path of Elemental Fury, gaining powerful elemental abilities. Monks have three new subclasses to join; the Ki Blocker is a wise warrior who learns to hinder their opponents by blocking ki paths in the body, the Shihan Warrior learns to use special armor and weapons to be a protector of the weak and innocent, and a monk who follows the Way of the Lacer gains new elemental abilities.

6 new backgrounds. Six unique backgrounds are presented in this book, representing both the feared and respected (bounty hunters, town guards), and the common heroes (air sanctuary, polar clan, the vast swamp, and the vegetable merchant).

New armor, weapons, and equipment. While all weapons and tools from the Player's Handbook are completely applicable to the world of Toril, new options are presented here for those who wish to specialize. New weapons like the boomerang and hook sword are listed, as well as new tools like the gemmanite ring, a powerful item which can bind and eventually engulf creatures in pure crystal candy.

Dozens of new feats. New options for lacers of specific elements, giving you even more unique flair for your character. Learn to lace lava, metal, lightning, wood, and many more!

192+ lacing forms. Similar to spells, lacing forms allow you mastery and control over the elements. Over 192 new forms are presented to give unique and powerful options for your character.

New setting rules and tips. New optional rules are presented, allowing players greater variability and versatility by allowing your elemental powers to be affected by weather and cosmic events. The ability to play as the Incarnate is laid out, allowing a player to become an extremely powerful master of all four elements. In addition, tips are given for DMs who wish to add lacers to other games, to help guide the DM in what it means to have a lacer in a campaign, and ideas for how to implement them fluidly.

36 new monsters. 36 completely new monsters are presented to challenge new and old players alike. The creatures cover the entire spectrum of Challenge Ratings, and can be tweaked for almost any type of encounter.

History of lacing in the Forgotten Realms. This book fills in gaps in the timeline of the Forgotten Realms, showing how lacing magic was created, how it reached its height, and ultimately, how it began to fall, until very few lacers remain.

This book is over 170 pages of vetted and critiqued content, and has been checked for balance in comparison to other 5e options, including those presented in the Player's Handbook. As much or as little of this book as you like can be added to any campaign of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, with no worry needing to be given over power levels or exceptional strength.

This has been a project I've worked on for over 5 years, and it's just incredible to finally see it come to fruition. So I really, really hope you enjoy it, and happy gaming!

This class summons wooden idols with powerful magical abilities that affect the area around them. Answer the call of nature that best suits you to animate your idols to battle for you, boost you own fighting ability, or add the ability to cast spells alongside your totems!

This is a full spellcasting class that gains the ability summon a powerful companion called an amicus. This creature is completely customizable, giving you an incredible amount of versatility in a single class!

Hi there! I love this work. I've got a question however. I'm playing a Fire Lacer with the Eastern Shaolin Style. When using the Dancing Dragon forms (Low, High, Power stance), it mentions needing to concentrate each turn to remain in them. Is this the mechanical Concentrate, thus stopping me from using any Firelacing ability that requires Concentration, such as Fiery Leap or Heat Flow?

Also, as I'm running this in an otherwise Forgotten Realms game, are there any tweaks you'd recommend to make it fit in more? We're already making the basic elemental attacks count as magical at level 6 to let the damage keep up. :)

Alex TMarch 13, 2018 6:04 pm UTC

CREATOR

To answer your first question, when I originally wrote that feature, yes it involved your concentration. However, with the balance updates that I hope to put out (as soon as I can), the concentration aspect is being removed. I would recommend you do the same for your game.

As for your second question, that's definitely a good start. If you're going to set your game in the Forgotten Realms, it would be very easy to have "lacing" and everything that falls under it be a splinter off of "normal" magic, without much of a difference. You may allow things like the "counterlace" form to act as counterspell to normal magic, and allow counterspell to counter lacing forms. Another example could be the Mage Slayer feat from the Player's Handbook could be used against lacers as well. This would help to integrate it with the more standard rules of DnD without having to come up with a bunch of special exceptions.

Thanks for the kind words and for checking it out, have...See more fun!

Ian DFebruary 25, 2018 5:53 am UTC

PURCHASER

First I would like to say I love this document and I am using it in my games, one of the best things on this site in my opinion. One suggestion I have though, have you thought of reorganizing the lacing forms? I know it'd be a lot of work but I think it would be much easier to navigate and chose forms if they were organized by their type (shu, ha, ri) instead of being alphabetized.

Alex TFebruary 26, 2018 3:00 pm UTC

CREATOR

Thanks for the kind words and for checking it out Ian! I actually do have a re-write of the document that I'm working on, which among other changes includes organizing the lacing forms to be easier to find and read. I'm currently in work and school full time, but I'm working on it in my free time, and I hope to be able to put it out there before too long. It's also coming with some new balance changes for pretty much all player options in the book according to feedback I've received since the book originally released.

cooper LFebruary 04, 2018 6:18 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hello I love this so much. another great feat for water lacing would be healing like in ATLA it’s just an idea but I think I could work well.

cooper LFebruary 04, 2018 6:18 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hello I love this so much. another great feat for water lacing would be healing like in ATLA it’s just an idea but I think I could work well.

cooper LFebruary 04, 2018 6:18 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hello I love this so much. another great feat for water lacing would be healing like in ATLA it’s just an idea but I think I could work well.

cooper LFebruary 04, 2018 6:18 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hello I love this so much. another great feat for water lacing would be healing like in ATLA it’s just an idea but I think I could work well.

cooper LFebruary 04, 2018 6:18 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hello I love this so much. another great feat for water lacing would be healing like in ATLA it’s just an idea but I think I could work well.

cooper LFebruary 04, 2018 6:18 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hello I love this so much. another great feat for water lacing would be healing like in ATLA it’s just an idea but I think I could work well.

Alex TFebruary 05, 2018 7:21 pm UTC

CREATOR

Thanks for checking it out and for the kind words! While there is not currently a feat for healing, there are a number of forms you can take as a waterlacer to heal your friends (Healing Waters, Lesser Rejuvenation, Soothing River).

December 12, 2017 5:41 am UTC

Have you given more thought into adding more subclasses for classes already in the 5e Player's Handbook with Lacing as a part of them? I would love to see a Fighter Lacing Subclass!

Alex TFebruary 05, 2018 7:22 pm UTC

CREATOR

Hi, and thanks for checking it out! I actually do plan to add a fighter subclass when I make my first big update to this project! Unfortunately, unlike some of my other projects which have gotten updates, the Incarnate project is massive, and requires a lot of my time, but it is definitely coming.

Trey JNovember 30, 2017 4:23 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Really nice stuff here my man!, I'm actually using the 3.5e Avatar game because i like the creativity afforded by bending but I'm taking much inspiration from what you've transcribe here.

Just a side note:
IMO lancing feels kinda like casting spells, some of the forms show effects that aren't necessarily represented through actual bending. It feels more like a summoning of elemental effects as opposed to bending them, but i understand that you made this yours and did a damn good job at doing that to! I would of ported my whole campaign over to this version, but i feel the attacks are too damaging and some of the forms don't translate well into the conventional sense of bending.

With that said, I'd be really interested in advice for porting your version over to the Avatar 2.0 version. essentially it would mean, adding Bending/Lancing Skill and figuring out witch forms can be ported over and given an appropriate bending DC.

Alex TDecember 05, 2017 5:02 pm UTC

CREATOR

It would definitely be difficult to try and mash up my book with a 3.5e supplement, and I wouldn't recommend it, as the balance on the two editions will be very different. I do agree that some of the forms do need to be reigned in, which is why I'm currently working on revamping most of this book as quickly as I can to balance it even better than where it is now, in order to make it more compatible with the rest of 5e.

Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with Avatar 2.0. Adding a Lacing skill would be pretty easy in most 5e games (currently, the "lacing" skill and knowledge of lacing falls under Arcana). As for which forms could be ported, I wouldn't be able to comment without knowing more about Avatar 2.0. But like I said, I am working on revising this book so that it integrates well with all of 5e, and I'm really excited to release it.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Trey JDecember 20, 2017 12:54 am UTC

PURCHASER

Quick question Alex, the sudden pillar ability for earth lacers, do you think it would be unbalanced if the form allowed for the user to launch the pillar at a target as a reaction for 2d4 +lacing stat dmg if the target is in 30ft?

Arthur SOctober 29, 2017 5:22 am UTC

PURCHASER

Hello and well done sir, great content and adaptation sorry I can't give more support.
If you may help me, I got a little confused with the Elemental Strike text.
The Elemental Strike is ranged only or the player choose how to use (melee or ranged) ?

Thank you for the content and for your work.

Arthur SOctober 29, 2017 5:36 am UTC

PURCHASER

Nevermind, I didn't saw the Combat Harmony Fighting style.

Sorry.

Pedro COctober 12, 2017 8:01 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hello! I LOVE this guide, and how it’s so compatible with other homebrews and easy to fit into almost any campaign.
I do have a quick question, though. In the equipment section, there is an elemental blade, that requires lacing to use. Do attacks from it count as elemental attacks, or no?
Thanks, and thank you for the great content!

Alex TOctober 13, 2017 12:33 pm UTC

CREATOR

Thanks for the kind words! Yes, any attack made with an elemental weapon would count as an elemental attack.

Patrick SOctober 04, 2017 7:04 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Does all the locations in this module cross over to the maps for kara-tur?

Alex TOctober 13, 2017 12:33 pm UTC

CREATOR

As I was planning the tie-ins to the Forgotten Realms, I did indeed use maps as much as possible to ensure things would make as much sense as possible.

The ones I used were from the following website: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Kara-Tur

The various maps from that site will sync up with what I've written in the guide.

Thanks for checking it out!

Kerry DSeptember 07, 2017 5:07 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Really awesome looking and well-thought out. Clearly a lot of hard work and effort was put into this.

Just one question though: for Obake, it mentions in several places that they can shapeshift but outside of flavour text, the closest to this being implemented is polymorph (via spirit magic) at level 5. I'm not sure if this was changed or I'm getting the wrong impression but does this mean (just for example) a nekomata obake cannot shapeshift into a cat until level 5?

Also there are no stat blocks for most of the mentioned animals associated with the obake (such as the tanuki, otter or fox) in this or in official sources. Any recommendations for good substitutions?

Really love your work though and it's just a minor hiccup ^.^

Alex TSeptember 18, 2017 5:45 pm UTC

CREATOR

To answer your question, yes, currently you'd need to wait for polymorph at 5th level to shapeshift. I'm currently working on a big overhaul of the book, and this is one of the areas I will be addressing, and seeing if more can be done (although I'm not sure yet without further review).

As for the animals (such as tanuki, otter, and fox), those animals actually are in the book, in the first appendix (Appendix A: Misc. Creatures).

Thanks for checking it out, hope you enjoy playing it!

Levi AAugust 26, 2017 12:49 am UTC

PURCHASER

Ok, so. Question. With the Elemental Strike thing for a Lacer, is there any point where it can overcome resistance/immunities? I might've missed it, if it's in there.

Alex TAugust 26, 2017 2:29 pm UTC

CREATOR

Currently no, that ability is not present. However, I'm currently working on a massive overhaul of the book, to make sure it integrates even more fully with the base 5e options, including allowing a lacer or samsari to be placed into a "normal" 5e adventuring group and be well-balanced and fill a unique niche. With these changes is coming the ability you described, along with a number of changes that will leave the player options from the book (the lacer and samsari, along with all the feats and forms) recognizable, but much better balanced around being integrated into any adventuring group. I hope to get these changes out relatively soon, so keep an eye out for that, and thanks for the interest!

In the meantime, if you find it's a problem in a game you're currently running/playing, the lacer will receive this ability at 6th level, and it would be fine to add that ability to the current lacer until changes go out.

Levi AAugust 27, 2017 1:21 am UTC

PURCHASER

Thanks for the response! I've only been reading through everything, but I plan on playing an Earthlacer in my groups next campaign, with only a few minor changes. I like the feel, and I'm looking forward to using the Cables and such.

Joshua DApril 24, 2017 6:22 am UTC

Excuse me Alex did you happen to get inspiration from Avatar The Lat Airbender/The Legend Of Korra ?

Alex TMay 05, 2017 7:21 pm UTC

CREATOR

Hey Josh! I'm definitely a big fan of those series, but I tried to make it as much my own as possible. Hopefully you enjoy it!

The best rescource I've found if you want to set a campaign in the Avatar world or use Avatar-esque classes in a regular d&d settting, with tons of content to play with. Every page is filled with great parts of the Avatar world (even if they have [...]

This is a beautiful and copyright risk-free nod to A:TLA and Korra. Everything is really well designed, if not a little complicated, but I'm not sure if I could translate bending any better myself. Side note, I was only able to find 2 whole typos in th [...]

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